


Something Clever

by Spaceflowerprincess



Series: Something clever [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, I must have been tired, I want to know why I tagged this as Captian Marvel, M/M, Teen!Avengers, clintasha is hinted at because they are like 12, they are all teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 10:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spaceflowerprincess/pseuds/Spaceflowerprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Welcome to S.H.I.L.E.D.’s new programs for problematic youth that think they have the ability to fight crime without a high school diploma.”<br/>Steve has one of those, and a year of college under his belt, he glares at the man.<br/>“I’m working on my second Ph.D.” Tony Stark says, “So why am I here.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Clever

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I really just want an teen avengers fic where Clint is the baby and someone tells him not to worry about girls because he's like twelve. it turned into a 16k fic where that doesn't happened to almost the end. This is Steve Centric with a bit of Thundersheild because that ship is not big enough, but they are only temporary and they enter the relationship knowing it has an expiration date. Steve also doesn't follow all of the other characters plot arcs
> 
> The italics are whatever language is needed at that point (I didn't have internet access when I started this.) I also feel okay about Natasha's speech as she is learning a new language all by ear, she tires very hard and can have complex conversations in Russian I tried to show her improvement over the course of the story. 
> 
> There a nod and grin to a lot of other Stucky fics with a mix of my own headcanons in here.

1945

Steve watches as the Red Skull’s body slowly dissipates and the next his uniform doesn’t fit him quite right. He doesn’t give it much though his shoes still work just fine. He get over pilots seat.  Once he knows what he has to do its not nearly as hard as he think it will be. He’ll see Bucky again. It’ll be okay.

The windshield breaks and the cold water rushes in. Steve takes a deep breath and smiles. A tear slips down his cheek.

 An eternity of quiet washes over the soldier, he is in a fitful peace.

Well that’s not quite right, he dreams at first, a beautiful blond women is speaking to him, he doesn’t recognize her though, and Bucky is there but he doesn’t seem right.

“You’re fates are now entwined, I wish you the best.” The women says looking over her shoulder, two small children are playing behind her, on dark haired and one fair haired child.

Of course Steve forgets all about this dream.

 

* * *

 

2014

And then his body is found. S.H.E.I.L.D. melts the ice surrounding the body of Captain America to prepare it for a funeral.

Steve takes his first breath in almost seventy years. His eyes open quickly and he takes in his surroundings.  He doesn’t remember any of this. There is a women in a white lab coat like Howard wears on occasion.  Her back is turned to him. He looks around the room quickly and figures out an escape route.

Once in the hallway he is lost. He pick a direction at random and sprints that way. The star spangled man with a plan was a terrible name for him. Hopefully it will get him out of this building- something ensnarls him. A boy of about thirteen grins down at him.

“So you’re the new science project they are keeping!” He says gleefully. “Come on come with me,” He says.

Steve makes a snap judgment, “Okay,” and follows him. The boy reminds him of Bucky. They end up in a small room with a red hair girl who look a bit younger than the boy.

“So what’s your name? Where are you from? Why are you here? How old are you?” The boy pelts him with questions.

 _“Where are you manors you heathen? You are incredibly rude, kidnapping me and now this poor boy?”_ She scolds him, except he doesn’t look much chastised. “ _Typical Americans not eve introducing themselves. Bird brain.”_ She says the last part like an affectionate nickname.

“ _Why do you call him bird brain?”_ Steve asks.

She looks shocked and excited _, “You speak Russian?”_

Steve doesn’t remember learning Russian. Then again there was a lot in the serum that was not explained to him like how he knew how to handle a gun, any gun, even the ones not in the manual, or how he could build a fire from scraps of wood when he had never been outside the city before he shipped out of New York for the USO tour.

“Oh great, I picked the two people who only speak gibberish,” The boy slumps down.

 _“I suppose I speak Russian, I’m Steve,”_ He says.

 _“Natalia, he calls me spider girl,”_ She nodes to the boy.

“I’m Steven, I’m from Brooklyn, I’m not quite sure why I am here.” The boys grins at him.

“I’m Hawkeye!” He puffs up proud of himself.

 _“His name is Clinton Francis Barton. He’s capable but a complete idiot.”_ Natalia translates for him. Steve laughs

“Hey! No fair!” Clinton argues.

The door opens and a middle aged man glares at the children and Steve.

“Life’s not fair Clint. You’re not supposed to be here. Let Natalia go back to her quarters and you’re supposed to be in school,” The man says.

Steve really wishes he knew what was going on.

“But Phil!” Clint whines. Natalia grins. _“Thank you sir. He was driving me crazy.”_

The man doesn’t seem to be buying what either of the children are selling. Then he look over at Steve.

“Shit,” He pinches the bridge of his nose, “Of fucking course. Steve you’re coming with me. I apologize for the _junior_ agents actions. They are typical agents if you are wondering.”

“I would just like to know where I am sir.”

“It’s Coulson, welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

 

* * *

 

 “You’re Captain America? But you’re like seventeen, he was like ten years older than you.” An agent of shield argues with him. He has been in this tiny room for three hours. He’s tired of it.

“I’m Steven Grant Rogers, born July 4th, 1918. I crashed a plan after my last fight with the Red Skull. I’m twenty-six years old.”

Coulson is back. Steve sighs with relief.

“That’s enough Agent Ward, you are dismissed,” Coulson says.

The man goes gratefully.

“I’m going to take you word you are Steven Grant Rogers. There was something off about your last recording before the plane crashed,” Coulson says.

“Thank you.” Steven says.

“But something happened to you, we’re not quite sure but it seems to have de-aged you a few years while leaving the serum intact, so you are even younger than you actual age. I hope I age a grace fully when I am five years from a hundred.” Steve keeps his face a mask of his emotions.

“Its 2014,” he was never great at math before. It got all muddled in his mind.

“Yes.”

“I’m like seventeen, _maybe_.”

“Yes.”

“Well this is absolute shit. I was going to die. And now I have to-“

“Recreate an identity.”

"What?” Steve looks up at the man maybe he misheard him.

“We cannot tell the public Captain America has been found but a bit younger than when he was lost.”

“I-” Steve isn’t sure he want to do this.

“Director Fury is setting up a school to keep the ‘junior’ agents out of trouble and build a team,” Coulson says. “You are young enough to be enrolled. We’ll put you for mainly history classes and to make twenty first century integration easier or you, but you have to use a fake identity.” Agent Coulson hand him a folder.

Steve looks at it quickly, “No. I refuse to be,” he look down at the name, “Nevin S. Davis. That is a ridiculous name and two of the _junior_ agents have already seen me and know I’m Steve.”

“What is you plan then?”

Steve though for a minute, “Steven Howard Barnes.”

“After Sergeant Barnes?” The man says softly.

Steve stays quite.

“If that is your only complaint we would like to enroll you as quickly as possible in the new school. You will be given access to you bank accounts as spending money during you time here, as most other things will be provided for you.”

“Fine.”

“Study up. School starts in two weeks what is in that packet you’ll need it to keep your identity a secret,” Coulson tells him.

“But what about-”

“The rest of the staff will be taken care of, do not worry your identity will stay between me, you, and Director Fury. You want to start over, right?”

No he doesn’t but it’s kind of the only option he has.

* * *

 

Steve is show to the dorm rooms, he’ll be there for the next two or so years. What fun. It’s clean a sterile and he hates it. He is the first one there but the last assigned to a dorm room. It’s all his own. He’s never had his own room, much less his own bed. Sure a few times on the USO tour but they didn’t stay long and he didn’t room by himself.

He wants to put some posters up. He settles for getting a sketch book and drawing in it until the other students arrive and he see what they do with their rooms.

Two weeks later the actual children arrive.

Clint Barton is the youngest of the boys to be put in the boy wing of the dorm. He shares his room with Loki, and actual God who’s older brother Thor is also there. Steve likes Thor, he’s straight forward and blunt. Thor says he and Loki are on a diplomatic mission, Loki seems to be treating it as an extended punishment. A dark skinned boy, named Sam rooms with Thor. Two more boys share the room across the hall from Steve. They are both solemn faced and dark haired. Steve doesn’t know much else about them expect that one of them doesn’t want to be there. A loud boy called Hank and a quite boy named Peter take up the fourth room.

In the girls wing Steve presumes that Natalia has a roommate and its set up much like the boys wing. There’s a common room in-between the two wings. It contains a few large couches a television Steve has yet to figure out how it’s made, a couple of gaming system DVD players and a bunch of board games Steve has never heard of.

It’s nice.

The first day of class Steve meet the other half of his class.

Natalia is the youngest girl. Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster, Pepper Potts, and Janet Van Dyne take up residence in the girl’s wing.

“I think this is complete bullshit,” one of the dark haired boys says.

“Tony, shush,” Pepper says.

“Well it is they just want to keep a bunch of teenagers who have managed to screw up enough to make national television under their lock and key,” He snaps.

“Then why waist the time and money to bring in the random guy over there,” Clint pips up.

“Random guy has a name,” Steve tosses out without even looking.

“Random guy wasn’t on National Television,” Clint fires back.

The USO tours was actually televised a couple times, “Was too.”

“Really when?”

“That’s a good question,” Tony says, “Could you tell use exactly when?”

Steve looks at the boy, something clicks in his head. Howard was really young when he help the SSR. Barely twenty in 1944, of course no one knew until much later. Apparently he had a kid in his seventies at least, go Howard. “You’re Stark.” Steve says surprised.

“That’d debatable, he was rather old when my mother had me,” The boy closes himself off.

“You look just like him, you've seen the photographs of him when he was younger, the likeness is exceptional,” Steve shots off his mouth.

Tony presses his lips together and ignores him. Pepper looks impressed.

“So where exactly did you come from,” Clint asks. Steve is saved from answering the question when a large black man walks into the classroom. He looks around at the gathering of students.

“Welcome to S.H.I.L.E.D.’s new programs for problematic youth that think they have the ability to fight crime without a high school diploma.”

Steve has one of those, and a year of college under his belt, he glares at the man.

“I’m working on my second Ph.D.” Tony Stark says, “So why am I here.”

The kids has guts.

“How about you shut up and let me finish, Doctor Stark,” The man glares back at Tony.

“No this is a waste of my time and money,”

"You father arranged for you to come her in the inevitability of his death. You are now a ward of S.H.I.E.L.D. until you all turn eighteen,” The man continues. There is a mixed reaction the dark haired boy next to Tony gives a sigh of relief Natalia and Clint seem unaffected by his announcement, Thor and Loki grumble and a few of the girls look alarmed.

“I’m calling bullshit and would like to leave now,” Steve stand up.

“I advise you _Mr. Barnes_ to sit down.” The man focus is entirely on Steve. He couldn’t care less.

“I advise you to look for an actual solution to my problem instead of sticking my in a classroom with a bunch of infants,” Steve walks out of the class room.

“And I thought I had balls.” Steve hears Tony exclaim.

He smiles.

* * *

 

He’s not surprised when its agent Coulson who finds him. He hasn’t left the building.

“I just want to see the sun, last time I properly saw it Bucky was with me and I was my actual age,” Steve bursts out.

“Okay,” Coulson hold up a pair of keys, “I’m going with you though.”

“As a baby sitter?”

Coulson shrugs, “If that’s how you want to look at it, legally you are sixteen, but I am willing to listen to you, also Director Fury’s assistant Maria Hill said you may need some non-essentials.”

Steve resigns himself and goes with the man. Coulson leads him to a bright red convertible, “Be careful, Lola is my pride and joy.”

Steve laughs but follows the man’s direction.

“Are you hungry?” Coulson asks, once they are on the road.

“I am always hungry, it’s a side effect that wasn’t all that fun,” Steve says looking around at his city and how it’s changed.

“Growing up I was a really big fan of you,” Coulson says, “It’s a bit odd I never knew you were an artist.”

“They wanted a national icon, not Steve Rogers, I didn’t care after a point,” Steve is amazed to see the buildings so tall. He remembers the Stark Expo that he and Bucky went to before Bucky shipped out, still no flying cars.

“Do you want to talk about what happened in the classroom?”

“I’m old enough to be most of those kids grandfather. Stark especially, how did Howard die?” Steve asks.

“He and Anthony were on a business trip, together when they were abducted by terrorists and held for three months. Howard died in that time. Anthony has a heart condition now, of sorts.”

“What happened?”

“There’s shrapnel stuck too close to his heart to work on Howard saved his son by putting an arch reactor in his chest. Anthony watched him die, maybe four months ago,” Coulson says.

“How old was Howard,” Steve can only picture the Howard from his time period. Young, vibrant, full of life, and too smart for his own good.

“Eighty-nine,” Coulson says holding out a picture. Steve looks at the photo. Howard is old and wrinkled and looks warn out, “That was taken about a year ago.”

“Howard was seventy-three when Anthony was born,” Steve says.

“He was probably closer to forty-five, there are documents on of a fetus being conceived. Maria died a few months before she was due. Howard froze the fetus, and apparently decided he was ready to care for the baby sixteen years ago. Anthony doesn’t know any of this.”

“He froze his own son?” Steve is flabbergasted.

Coulson nods as he pulls in to a parking spot outside a little café.  They order their coffees: black for Steve and a latte for Coulson.

“A lot of their stories are similar. They are all destined for something big. We just hope by bringing them together now it becomes something greater than what they can accomplish on their own. Clint and Natalia need direction with their abilities. Stark, Banner, Pym and Foster will revolutionist their own fields, but they need to learn to work with people, Thor and Loki have discipline and talent that Odin and Frigga fear needs a pulpous otherwise it will be turned on each other. Pepper and Darcy have the making of being incredibly good handlers. Janet Van Dyne has money and influence Stark doesn’t have. She’ll be good at what she puts her mind to. They need direction and a leader,” Coulson sips his drink, “I was hoping it could be you.”

“Me?” Steve snorts his coffees he is so surprised.

“You’ve lead a team before.”

“Yeah, of soldiers they were trained and willing. I picked them myself.”

Coulson raises and eyebrow, “What do you think High School is?”

“Training,” Steve says, “You’re training children, to fight.”

“Not to fight, to defend.”

“That’s no better than Hitler,” Steve says.

“Thor and Loki are from Asgard, there are other planets out there, with other forms of life. Earth is not alone, we need to be defended to prepare ourselves for an inevitability that we are going to be attacked,” Coulson argues.

“You say it like you know something is going to happen.”

Coulson doesn’t comment.

“You had been setting up the school before I was found, like way before I was even a factor. Who were you planning on unit the children?” Steve challenges.

“We thought maybe Thor, or Sam. Van Dyne or Stark even. We weren’t sure. You are the best option as of now.”

“I still think this is a bullshit deal,” Steve says.

“What would make it better?” Coulson challenges.

“I’m building a team right?” Steve asks.

Coulson nods.

“Then I’d like to see what they’ve got, physically. I want to be in charge of physical training or at least monitor it and help keep up with it. And the classes, I can’t take the goddamn classes. I finished high school already.”

“They need to see you as part of the team, though.” Coulson counters.

“So put me in for history and art. I can’t stand the idea of sitting through another math or science class,” Steve says, “I’d also like to be treated as an adult seeing as I am almost a hundred.”

“I think that is work able, what about a practical science class. For thing out in the field?”

Steve doesn’t really have a problem, “As long as the grade doesn’t count.”

Coulson laughs, “I can’t help but to ask if you were a bad student before.”

Steve smiles wryly, “I’m not the person to ask about that.”

The rest of their trip out is easy and uneventful. Steve gets a few more outfits a leather jacket and a suit. He gets himself some more art supplies and posters to hang up in his room. He is going to decorate it how he likes. He also bought a Bucky Bear on whim.  Coulson looks at him funny after that, but doesn’t say anything.

He can do this. Maybe.

* * *

 

Facing the children again seems a bit more intimidating than Steve can handle at the moment.

“ _You can do this Steve their just people like you and me.”_ Bucky’s voice resonate in his ears. Steve take a deep breath and take a step forward in to the dorm he has decorating to do.

He sets up his posters and assemblies his art supplies, and puts away his new clothing. He doesn’t notice the commotion going on outside his dorm room.

“Nat, Nat, Tasha!” Clint screams at the top of his lungs. “You can’t go in there its Steve’s room. This is the _boy’s_ dormitory.”

Natalia tells him off in Russian.

Steve is listening to music on his iPod. It’s nice it blocks out the noise of others.

Natalia opens up the door. “ _You bastard. Agent Phillip Coulson promised me you’d be in our classes. I abhorred having no one to talk to. I demand you come to class.”_ She orders.

“ _I’ve been through high school already I’m not sitting in classes’ bored out of my mind. You are thirteen, you do not order people around, especially not your superiors. Do you understand me?”_ Steve looked down at her.

 _“You think because you are older and male that you can order me around?”_ She accused in a small voice. Steve squatted so he was on her level.

“ _Natalia it is no because I am older than you. Agent Coulson and I had a conversation today. We reached a compromise. I know a bit more than you that is all.”_

 _“I trusted you,”_ Her eyes water up.

Steve leaned into talk to her quietly, “ _Agent Coulson says we are to be a team. And teams work best with leaders, right?”_

She nods, “ _Agent Coulson says because I have the most experience I should be the leader.”_

 _“I have experience too,”_ She said.

“ _Then you’ll be my second in command?”_ Steve does not expect the girl to hug him so tightly. He hugs her back.

“I'm Nat,” She says to him in English. That’s when the both of them notice thy have a crowd watching them. Clint and a few others gasp.

“You can speak English! I knew it!” Clint screeches, “Why did you ignore me?”

“You’re bird brain,” Nat says from Steve’s chest. He stand up with her still clinging to him. Thor and Loki look at each other in confusion.

“How did you do that?” Loki asks.

“Do what?”

“You speak in tongues we do not understand,” Thor says, “it is strange, like out All-speak has been altered,” Thor says.

Steve shrugs and sets Natasha down. She and Clint are already arguing in English, Russian, and is that Sign Language? They settle on sign language.

“I knew coming to Midgard seemed to be too kind of father,” Loki grumbled under his breath.

“We should do something bonding,” Steve said. Then couldn’t think of anything.

“We could watch a movie,” The boy next to Tony suggested then immediately edged away. 

Steve smiled, that sounded like a wonderful idea. “Why don’t we go to the common room, and play a name game?”

Tony grinned wide, and rushed the others out there. Pepper took over and made them sit in a circle facing each other. She looked like she wanted to make Natalia and Clint separate, but then though better of it.  Steve sat cross legged next to Natalia. She smiled at him.

“We’ll go around and tell each other our names, ages, and a bit of personal history, in English and then state our favorite genre of movies,” Pepper held a decorative stick in her hands. “This is the speaking stick the one who hold it will be the one who is speaking everyone else must be quite until they have said what they need to questions will be held until the end, understood?” She glared at them. They nodded their heads in submission. Coulson was right. This women knew what she was doing and would be good at it later in life.

“I’ll go first,” She smiled pleased with herself. “I’m Pepper Potts, sixteen years old. I’ve been Stark sitting since I was thirteen, and Howard need someone on Tony’s level to manage his life. I was the best option. Still am,” She blushed. “I like historic movies.”

She passed the stick to the dark hair girl next to her. She smiled bright, “I’m Darcy Lewis, fifteen and professional Foster wrangle. Jane is my best friend, I’ll follow her anywhere, even if it’s just to keep her out of trouble. Action movies at the best, especially one about Captain America,” She has a small smirk on her face, the rest of the group laughs. Steve is left confused.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Darcy asks.

“What do you like Captain America movies the best?”

Darcy’s jaw dropped, “Have you seen them? They are gold! Either the story line is complete shit and the actors are all hot, or its historically accurate and the casting sucks and they forget Gabriel Jones and Jim Morita weren’t white boring as hell. Or they try to imply Captain America and Bucky Barnes had something going on, which there no evidence is to refused or imply,” She grins.

“Captain America was completely gay for Bucky,” Tony says. “He was going to walk thirty miles to rescue him even if he wasn’t alive. There’s also secondary sources about his mental state after Bucky died that say he was out of his mind with grief. He had other option besides crashing the plan and commit suicide.”

Steve think he’s heard enough and drops the subject. He doesn’t want to know what gay means or if its good or not.

Jane Foster holds the stick, “I’m Jane Foster. I found Thor’s hammer.” Tony make a noise and the boy next to him elbows him, “I’m sixteen years old, I like anything science related. I went to an all-girls school before I came here,” She passes the stick on.

“I’m Hawkeye-” Natalia interrupts, “Clinton Francis Barton.” –“Hey!”

“is for horses,” She smirks.

“Hi Francis,” Loki taunts. Thor give him a strongly disapproving look.

Clint glares, “I’m twelve and a better shot than any of you. Movies with clowns are my favorite.”

Natalia plucks the stick out of his hands, “I’m Natalia,” She looks like she is thinking really hard, "I like story loves," she says decisively passes the stick to Steve.

“I’m Steven Howard Barnes. Everything about me, I am told, is classified. I like artistic movies.”

“Everything?” Tony questions.

Steve nods.

“Why? Are you trying to avoid telling us about yourself?”

“I’d like to, but I can’t. Agent Coulson has told me I am not allowed to share my personal history with the group. I am building a completely new identity that cannot resemble my old one.”

“That’s absolutely crazy,” Clint tells him.

“I know,” Steve says.

“You’re probably a clone of someone important,” Tony says, “S.H.I.L.E.D.  has been wanting to create another super soldier for years. You’re a test to see if you can stand up to the real Captain America. That why your name is Steve.”

“No, that’s not it at all,” Steve says.

“No it is think about it,” the dark skinned boy spoke up. “You’re name is Steven Howard Barnes. You’re totally a Captain Americlone! Howard Stark was there with Steven Rogers at the time of the transformation. Barnes was either Steve’s wingman or boyfriend, but he was always there what else would you name a Captain Americlone?” He seemed pretty excited.

“John Smith,” The curly hair boy offered. Tony laughed and said something softly to him.

Steve gave the stick to the dark skinned boy. “I’m Sam Wilson, sixteen. I’m an army brat, you all know the trouble I caused with those wings,” he grinned. Steve raised and eye brow and didn’t say anything. “I like pretty much anything sci-fi or fantasy.”

Sam passed the stick to Thor.

“I am Thor. God of thunder, from Asgard, heir to the kingdom. Loki tells me I am just about seventeen in human years. I enjoy all plays, but the one with music are the best,” he grinned and looked slightly dopey. He handed to stick to Loki.

“The music sooths him, mother used to sing him to sleep, or submission when he was young, I am fairly proficient in all instrument. Loki god of mischief, future ruler of Asgard, while Thor is off defending out fair Kingdom. I am the equivalent of fourteen.  I enjoy humors stories.” He hand the stick to the curly hair boy next to Tony.

“Bruce Banner, fourteen, I like calm movies.” He passes the stick to Tony who hugs him tight and whispers in his ear. Steve is not sure what is said between the two but Bruce smiles. It’s the first time Steve has seen him smile. While Clint has Bucky’s personality, Bruce looks more like Bucky. Steve closes his eyes and counts down from ten, trying not to remember the bruises and injuries on Bucky from time to time. It stopped after his father died. Maybe something like that but worse happened to Bruce.

“I’m Tony Stark, fifteen years old, probably. I like classy movies,” He winks.

How much does Tony actually know about his birth, Steve wonders?

“Janet Van Dyne, sixteen, I like princess movies still,” She grins small, “But like the ones where they turn out to be really badass,” She confesses.

“Hank Pym, fifteen years old. I’m indifferent on what movie I watch as long as it is good,” He says stiffly.

“I’m Peter Parker,” says the quite scrappy boy next to Hank, “I’m thirteen and I like movies about families,” he smiles to himself shyly.

“That settles it,” Pepper declares, “We are watching Tangled. It fills most of the criteria you have set. Bruce you can use ear plugs if you’d like,” She says.

He nods and moves closer to Tony, Pepper smiles small.

Steve watches as the group moves to the couches and settles down. Clint and Natasha are inseparable so the sit next to each other on the floor at Steve’s feet. Tony and Pepper sit together with Bruce lying beside Tony.  Thor and Jan sit together, Darcy puts her feet in James land and her head on Janet’s shoulder. Loki sits on the other side of Thor. Sam sits on the same couch as Steve and so does Hank although Sam is closer.

It’s nice and not argued about at all.

Pepper fiddles with a tablet and the television turns on. The movie starts up. Steve enjoys it. Subtle shift occurs in the audience but it’s comfortable. Darcy’s head drops from Jane’s shoulder to her lap. Thor moves his hand closer to Jane’s hand. Loki moves from the couch to the floor next laying stretched out at Thor Jane and Janet’s feet. Clint and Natasha move away from Loki and Steve’s feet toward Tony and Pepper. Clint’s plays with Natasha’s hair and ends up putting it into a complicated braid. Steve watches them instead of the movie.

Sam gets closer to Steve, “If everything about you is classified are you anyone’s here kid?”

Steve almost chocks, “No, my parents are long dead.”

“So I should rule out time travel?”

“I time travel the same as you,” Steve says.

Sam is quite for a minute.

“So then what’s the deal between you and the little ones?”

“The remind me of a friend. It’s nice,” Steve says finally.

“So you’re going to play older brother.”

Steve doesn’t even think about it when he says yes.

* * *

 

Bruce, Darcy, Clint and Natalia fell asleep during the movie. Steve carries Natalia and Clint back to Clint’s room as the others insisted they shouldn’t be separated. Thor takes Darcy back to her room and Tony stays where he is and lets Bruce sleep on his lap that night.

Steve sketches the night before he goes tries to go to sleep.

It doesn’t work. He tires everything he can think of and then finally starts talking to the room at large, about his day. He remembers the Bucky bear and starts talking to it as if it were actually Bucky.

“I wish you were here Bucky, but I think I can do this. Shape these kids into a functional team like we did with the Commandos.”

Bucky doesn’t answer.

* * *

 

The next day Steve is given control over the group, he decides they should test the group’s abilities.

“We’re going to the Gym, I need to see where we are. Who is scratch and who can actually defend themselves,” He tell the groups at large. Thor and Natalia he has no doubt they can defend themselves. Clint, Tony and Sam maybe, the rest though he has no idea.

“Everyone is doing two quick laps around the track as a warm up,” Steve hollers holding a clipboard.

“I didn’t realize this school had a student gym teacher,” Tony grumbles.

“I’d rather teach you than let experience in the field teach you. Not everybody is like me,” Steve calls out.

“You sound like you’re an actual soldier! Where the hell did you serve?” Sam calls out.

“All over the goddamn place!” He calls back. He is getting good at these non-answers.  He goes over the class list.

1) Loki, 14

2) Natalia, 12(?)

3) Thor, 17

4) Bruce Banner, 14

5) Clint Barton, 12

6) Steven Barnes, 16

7) Jane Foster, 16

8) Darcy Lewis, 15

9) Peter Parker, 13

10) Pepper Potts, 16

11) Henry Pym, 15

12) Tony Stark, 15

13) Sam Wilson, 16

14) Janet Van Dyne, 16

The other thirteen teenagers in his class didn’t have the life experience he had to guide them. The next thing he have his men do would be spare him, with this groups he’d have to explain it. Sam, Natalia, Clint, Thor and maybe Loki would know how to spar. He’d be starting back in basic.

* * *

           

Steve was pleasantly surprised when it ended up that almost everyone but Bruce and Jane could at least throw a decent punch.  Jane was willing to learn how even though she had never been put in a place where physical action were stronger than academic. Bruce was a different story. He flat out refused. Steve didn’t push him around the others. He sent everyone but Bruce to work on their strength and tactics. Thor and Sam were in charge of that.

He sat down next to Bruce, “I had a friend like you,” Steve says.

Bruce scoffs.

“To me he seemed impossibly strong most of the time. Nothing and no one could hurt him. He defended me from school yard bullies. Afterward he would fuss over me and my injuries. He knew a little bit too much about how to patch me up,” Steve said.

“So your friend had a father who hit a bit too hard, that’s not me,” Bruce spat out.

“Bruce, I’m not a stupid as most people want to think. Your dad hurt you,” Steve said.

“Yeah and now he’s dead!” Bruce said.

Steve was quiet and let Bruce gather his thought.

“I- I don’t like gym. I never did. One night he hit me and I hit back,” Bruce closes up, “I hit back so hard S.H.I.E.L.D. got involved and keep me in a containment cell for nine months until I could learn to control myself.”

Steve had no idea what Bruce was talking about.

“I can’t spare or hurt the others. They’re nice to me. Tony lets me touch him and after being isolated from human contact it feels good. And I don’t want to lose that. I will if I learn more about how to defend myself.”

“Bruce-”

“I’m a big green monster because the military experimented one me, trying to make me into the next Captain America,” Bruce says finally.

“Did you know one of the requirements for trying the super soldier serum was that the candidates had to have a genuinely good heart?” Steve says. Bruce shakes his head, “A better soldier than Steve Rogers was passed over because Steve Rogers had a purer heart. He was the underdog for so long that he understood what power meant and wouldn’t, couldn’t abuse that. If you were picked unwillingly for the experimentation that means someone else saw how good you are, that’s the silver lining in all of this. You are a genuinely good person,” Steve tells him hoping his message is getting through to him.

Bruce doesn’t say anything as he buries his head into Steve’s chest. Steve wraps his arms around the younger boys and rubs circles on his back like Bucky once did for him.

“I’ll be okay.”

Steve makes a note to talk to Coulson.

* * *

 

The weeks pass slowly. They go to classes and Steve keeps them on a program to strengthen their bodies along with their minds, he has a complete plane that was handed to him with certain phases. The star spangled man with a plan was just a line in the song more often than not Steve didn’t have a plan, but the bonds didn’t sell themselves.

He talked to Coulson about Bruce, Sam, Loki and Thor because those boys abilities bound the norm and they needed to be used and trained otherwise they were a liability to the team.

Coulson was thin lipped as he told Steve that he would get back to him on that. It took him almost a month. He showed up with several large pairs of pants and a backpack Steve couldn’t make sense of.

“Fury says training those boys to use their abilities will be tricky and maybe not worth the effort,” Coulson says. Steve ground his teeth.

“Bruce’s alter is incredibly large and dangerous not to mention green,” Coulson says, “It’s more often than not angry. It only appears when Bruce loses control of his emotions and is in danger.”

“Why wasn’t I told this in the beginning? Shouldn’t you have worked with him and his condition? That critical information.” Steve snapped.

Coulson looks chastised, “The Army had a major push for him to be put to death, one of the only reasons he is not dead right now is because he is not legally an adult.”

Steve snatched the pants and back pack.

“Only you and Thor are allowed in the room with him while his alter is out!” Coulson calls down the hall.

Steve make no movement to acknowledge him.

Steve takes Thor, Loki, Clint, Natalia, Sam and Bruce into a different part of the gym while the other work on the programs he gave them.

“You six have specialized abilities, and I think it’s time we started working on them,” Steve starts, “Thor has his power with thunder and general battlefield knowledge, Loki has his magic and tactician skills, Clint is one of the best shots there is, Natalia is great at anything she puts her mind to, one of the best sparing partners I have ever had. Sam, you can freaking fly, without the training you are good, with it I think you can be better. Bruce, well his is a bit more private, but we will work on it.

“Today we are going to work on you agility. Running, flying, mentally changing gears in the middle of a task, that sort,” Steve says setting up the agility course. “Clint, Loki, Natalia and Sam you are going to work on this while Thor and I work with Bruce.”

The four of them aren’t even listening any more as they eye the course with eager anticipation. “You will complete the course three times alone and then it will be changed so that you have to work together as a team to complete it. Sam, I’d get up in the air if I were you, but don’t count on that to get you out of tight turns. Clint, your skills will help you to an extent but you will have to put down your bow at some point. Loki, it can’t all be solved by magic. _Natalia, try to go easy on the boys.”_ Steve pleads.

“ _No promises,”_ She tells him

“Thor, Bruce, this way please,” Steve orders.

One they are in the larger more stabilized room Steve turns to Bruce. “We are working with your alter,” he says, “Thor and I are strong enough and older enough to take the repercussions.”

“I have fought more deadly adversaries than your alter,” Thor says, “My brother has told me that your alter is no stronger than the trolls I and my companions fought with quite often, I will be good.”

"I don’t know if I can get him out,” Bruce says.

Thor grins and ambushes the teenagers. Bruce hits the floor and his body ripples and his close tear out in to scraps. In his place is a green creature that is a foot taller than Steve and twice as wide as him.

“What is your name?” Thor asks.

“I. AM. HULK!” The creature says flinging Thor across the room.

“You are also very strong,” Steve says.

“I bad,” The creature says, “I hurt him.”

Steve shakes his head as Thor stands up with a smile, “No you only stunned him. You aren’t bad, you’re strong and good.”

The creature sits down and looks like its about to cry.

“Mighty Hulk you look as if you need a play mate,” Thor says softly. The creature looks up.

“Play?”

“Aye, many of the children on my home planet enjoy chasing after one another. Would you like to chase after myself and fair Steven?”

Steve blushes.

Hulk nods, and Thor grins back at Steve.

They end up teaching the Hulk all sorts of children’s gams and move on to battle formations over the next few weeks until he is ready to join the others. Steve has divided the groups up in his mind. Sam, Clint, Natalia, Loki, Thor and Bruce are Group Alpha. Group Beta consist of Jane, Darcy, Peter, Pepper, Hank, Tony and Janet.  Sometimes he think of putting Hank, Tony, Bruce, Peter and Jane into a third group as they are better at the science behind most things rather than being on the front lines.

* * *

 

Tony Stark approaches him one night, “I want to be in Group Alpha,” He says.

Tony likes attention, that much Steve can see, its not like his father he doesn’t just want to show off, he likes attention because it brings out the people he can relate to and talk science or whatever to. “Tony, Group Alpha all has an extra set of abilities Groups Beta doesn’t have.”

“I want to be in Groups Alpha, I have something to show you,” Toney grabs Steve’s arm and pulls him down to an area of their quarter he didn’t even know about. It’s the bas men and it looks like Stark has been working hard in here.

“My father helped me make the prototype while we were…” Tony trails off while Steve inspects the suit more, “I thought he was going to make it out as well, but…” Steve understands. He knows what it’s like to lose someone who was his whole world, his world worlds was lost anyways. Tony starts to sob.

“He didn’t even try,” Tony says, Steve take a step closer, testing Tony’s reaction, “They hit him with a rock and he crumpled to the ground,” Tony bottom lip trembles. Steve puts and hand on his shoulder.

“I watched my best friend fall off a mountain,” Steve says. “His fingers slipped while I was trying to get to him, and I could do nothing but watch. He looked so much younger than he had for years. We were still just boys,” Steve said sitting both of them on the ground.

“Wh’d ‘uo ‘o?” Tony mumbled.

“I tried to kill myself after that, I didn’t want to live in a world without him,” Steve continues.

Tony wipes away his tears. “He must have been some friend for you to do that,” Tony remarks.

“He was all I ever had. I thought my... suicide worked until S.H.E.I.L.D. found me and redirected me.”

Tony is quite for a minute, “So we’re all pretty new to this? Living with grief?”

“Yeah, I think everyone, but Thor and Loki has lost something,” Steve says, “So what’s this suit do?”

“It can protect me. It flights, and has repulses that are like super powerful, also it has Jarvis in it,” Tony smiles and looks about half his age.

“Jarvis?”

“He’s my pet project. I’ve been working with him since I was ten,” Tony gushes about technicalities Steve doesn’t understand, except this kid is really smart. “So what do you think can I join the next Howling Commandos?”

“The what?”

“The team that you’re putting together, they’re like superheroes, but real, like the Howling Commandos. And your obviously a Captain Americlone, except your everything he’s not,” Tony says with a straight face. Steve can’t help but laugh.

“I think we’ll need a better name,” Steve says, “I’ll talk to Agent Coulson, but ultimately the decision is not up to me.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Tony squeezes him tight.

Steve hugs him back, “You’re welcome.”

* * *

 

Steve does not know what to make of his relationship with Thor. He is the only other member of their groups to have faced war like he has. Thor is young on his own planet, but here he is much older in human years than all of SHEILD’s staff. In the evenings Thor is his quite companion. They are absorbed in their own activities that are very independent.

One night Thor breaks the silence.

“Why are you lonely?”

Steve smile to himself, it’s that or cry. He take a minute to think over his answer, “You know how Midgard is very different from Asgard?”

Thor nod his head, “I like it here, though sometimes I am homesick. Loki make it better.”

“I come from a place that is familiar yet very different. Everything I knew, everyone I thought I’d always have, they’re gone now. It’s an entirely different world, and I have no one like Loki to make it better.”

Thor considers this, “That doesn’t sound very fun.”

“It’s like I’m pretending I’m at work all the time and can’t go home and be myself anymore. I ach to go home some days, or even have my old friend back even though where we were was terrible, and we just wanted to go home.”

"There is something like that on Asgard. Lady Sif has told me stories about warriors who would return home different from how they left. That they just wanted to go back into battle. She said they thought it made more sense than civilian life.”

Steve identifies with that to a scary level. “When I asked her if she had ever experienced the like she wouldn’t answer.”

“It’s very personal and upsetting,” Steve says.

“Perhaps you are a fallen god,” Thor offers. Steve laughs.

“Buddy I’m not a god, if I was things would be very different,” Steve puts away his sketch book.

“Gods do not control all,” Thor steps toward Steve, “My father often says he wishes he could prevent a friend’s death just to ask them for a piece of advice, but he know that is beyond his abilities even as a god,” Steve watches Thor, “Your friends death is not your fault.”

Steve was not expecting the kiss, it was soft and nice. For once Steve wasn’t comforting another person so he let Thor hold him. No one had told him Bucky death wasn’t his fault. It felt nice.

“What about Jane?” Steve asked.

“What about Lady Jane?” Thor cocked his head.

“Don’t you love her?” Steve’s eyes burned.

“I do love Lady Jane. She wishes to wait upon entering a relationship. I told her I would wait for her as well.”

“Then isn’t this dishonest to her?” Steve sand down on his bed.

Thor chuckles, “You do not love me, and I do not love you in the way you are thinking of. I love you as you are my brother in arms. You are in need of comfort. Kissing is nice isn’t it?”

“Yeah it is,” Steve says.

“And you seemed to want to sleep next to me. Another’s companionship often keeps nightmares away. Squire Stark says there are all sorts of love, that falls in line with what I know,” Thor touches Steve’s shoulder.

“He’d call this love queerplatonic.”

“Life partners,” Steve says later curled up on Thor’s chest, “I like the way that sounds.”

Thor puts a protective arm over Steve’s body. It’s almost like when he and Bucky were together. 

 “Squire Stark has nice ring to it,” Steve says.

“He is to be a future Knight.”

“I’m using it,” Steve has a sleepy grin that makes Thor’s chest rumble.

* * *

 

Steve wasn’t fully aware of how much time has passed since he was woken up, but suddenly it July first. And Coulson is there telling him and his team there is picnic they have to attend on the fourth and they need to look their best.

“Sir,” Steve starts, “I suppose this is a little late but why are we in school if it’s July.”

(“Oh my God Steve you can’t just ask people why they’re in school,” Tony says to Bruce. Bruce giggles. Pepper glares.)

Coulson looks like he is about to pass out, “Oh god damn it! I-shit-I fucking forgot to inform C-”

“Coulson!” Steve shouts, “It was your order, and I will not have you completely ignore it. Also, not for me but there are children in the room.” Steve gestures to the crowd watching them.

 _"We’ve heard worse!”_ Natalia pips up.

“I second that,” Clint says.

Coulson looks about a minute away from having a heart attack.

"She’s teaching him Russian, we’re trying to get her to stick with English a majority of the time,” Coulson is frantic.

“Agent Coulson, calm down I have this under control,” Steve reassures him.

“We’re in a year round program,” Tony offers up, “But summer field trips would be nice,” he smiles.

“Oh,” Steve says.

“Picnic, dress nice, but the investors will want a demonstration of the more advanced physical skills, then there will be a fireworks and desert,” Coulson says. Pepper is at his side reassuring him they’ll be fine although a shopping spree would be good.

“I apologize Steven,” Coulson says on the way out.

“I understand, it’s alright.” It’s not like he was going to do anything. Thor’s hand warms his waist and a quick peck is applied to his cheek. He feel a bit better.

* * *

 

“So a shopping spree?” Tony grins.  Steve grimaces. Not that he finds shopping to be displeasing, but managing all of his team will be worse than keeping track of the Commandos in pubs.

“You all need something decent,” Pepper says looking over her tablet, “Sundresses for the girls, shirt and tie for the boys.”

“What if I don’t feel like being a boy on the fourth?” Loki questions. Pepper sighs, “We’ll find a blouse and collared shirt stick with skinny jeans for bottoms. I’m assigning everyone a color theme, Loki, you’re green. Thor is silver and red. Clint is purple, Hank is red. Bruce is purple and green. Peter you’re red and blue. Sam is red and white. Tony you’re-”

“Red and gold,” Steve and Tony say in unison. Pepper make an annoyed sound Steve and Tony grin at each other.

“Steve you are-”

“Neutrals,” Steve supplies. Pepper narrows her eyes at him, “Blue and white.”

Close enough.

"Janet, you look best in yellow,” The socialite make and approving sound, “Black accents.”

“Darcy, Jane you two should complement each other. One wear lights the other, wear darks.”

“Natasha says she wants black and red with silver jewelry,” Clint calls.

“Natasha?” A couple voices call out to each other.

“Nat, honey I was going to go with a floral print for you,” Pepper says.

Natalia shakes her head. Something ticks in Steve mind. Natalia and Natasha are very similar. Even though she doesn’t talk to a majority of the people she come across she has always been Natalia, “ _I want to be like Yasha_ ,” She says determined, “ _I miss him._ ”

Natalia presses closer to Steve.

They decided to go shopping the next day.

* * *

 

“ _Do you want to talk about Yasha?”_ Steve asks.

 _“No,”_ She turns away from him stubbornly.

“ _Could you tell me about him? You haven’t said a word about your old life before you came here to anyone in months. They are getting concerned,”_ Steve pleads.

“Your old life, you no talk about,” She points him.

“I can’t tell you names or places, but I can tell you little antidotes,” Steve counters, “Tell me about James.” He asks, “Please.”

Natalia presses her head into Steves chest, _“He was big, you and Thor are almost as tall and as strong as him,”_  She says with a small smile growing, _“he trained me and the others for a bit. I liked it best when he played with us, it was like a treat, but he was always putting lessons in to play time. He had a little accent like yours._ It’s nice.”

“Do I look like him?”

“ _No, his eyes were blue but they didn’t have life to them. Occasionally he’d get a spark of joy to twinkle. His hair was long like Thor’s but colored like Anthony’s.”_ She paused before going on, “ _One of Yasha’s arms was metal. It looked and worked like his other arm. And sometimes it scared him, so they’d make him were a glove.”_

_"Did the hand scare you?”_

_"No, it was just a hand. Yasha would never hurt me with it. It wasn’t like a gun or a knife,”_ she confided.

 " _Did he ever hurt you?”_ Steve pressed on.

 Natalia looked horrified, “ _No! Yasha was my favorite person there! He loves me. I miss him. You’re just like him, displaces in time.”_

Steve doesn’t know what to say.

 

* * *

 

The night before the picnic the teen are gathered in the common room. Some of them are watching a movie a few other are playing pool and table tennis to burn of extra nerves. Steve is tempted to go a play Mario Cart with Sam and Tony, until Natalia come up to him.

“ _Will you curl my hair?”_ She holds up a few items to Steve with big green eyes.

“ _Of course.”_

She smiles bright. They watch some of the movie while Steve’s fingers move deftly through Natalia’s hair. He remembers when he and Bucky would curl his little sister’s hair.

“ _What name do you prefer, Natalia or Natasha?”_

 _"Nat,_ ” She says softly there’s more she is clearly dying to say as she eyes Clint across the room.

 “ _Do you like him?”_

 _"He is a decent partner.”_ She admits. _“Would I have to take his last name later?”_

Steve chuckles, “No, you won’t have to. You could, but it’s not required.”

Jane and Darcy are looking at Steve and Nat.

“ _Natasha Barton sounds better than Natalia Barton,”_ She whispers in his ear when his is done.

“ _Or you could make him take your last name,”_ a glint of wonderment reflects in her eyes. Then it’s gone, “ _I don’t actually have a last name. Clint called me Natasha when he first meet me. I think he’s a bit,”_ she points a finger to her head and then spins it loosely, _“He made me watch Anastasia once saying that he got the name from that. It wasn’t in there.”_

Steve can’t help it he laughs.

“Are you two siblings?” Jane asks.

“Uh…I don’t think so?” Steve look at Nat’s face.

“Probably no related,” Nat confirms.

“Do you know your parents?” Darcy asked.

“My ma raised me. I never meet my father. She didn’t have a picture of him, but we were poor.”

“I not know my parents,” Nat says, “I was,” she frowns, “Little? Yes I was little. The other girls too. No parents,” She says with a little grin. She has never said this much to someone who wasn’t Steve or Clint.

“My parents sucked, I’m glad I’m here,” Darcy says.

“What did you do to her hair?” Jane asks curious about the rags Steve has tied her hair with.

“Curls!” She shouts, “Steve is like Yasha, he knows…” she is considering the right word, “proper curls! I night and then take the clothes out and poof!”

“Where did you learn that?” Darcy asks, “Can you teach me?”

“My friend and I practiced on his little sister’s hair,” He shrugs off the question.

"Another night then,” Darcy contemplates, “I want to make Jane’s hair look good one of these days.”

“Hey!”

“Isn’t that for horses?” Nat’s accent is adorable at this point.

Steve shrugs, “I’m a city boy.”

Steve watches as Nat and the older girls become closer to each other and her English improve little by little.

“Thank you Steve,” She says before he announces lights out.

* * *

 

The picnic reminded Steve strangely of the USO tour. That was interesting but it could mean that the program he was in was not entirely legal and or still needed funding.

Coulson could not have had a prouder smile on his face as he look at all of the students. Steve felt a bit weird in the crisp blue shirt and white tie. It was like casual wear for the older costume, he missed his shield, and Coulson wouldn’t let him use it to train with the others said it looked too much like Captain Americas ironic shield. Well wasn’t that ironic because he was Captain America. Why not just repaint it?

Perhaps Coulson was thinking about his fighting style, not that S.H.E.I.L.D. had actually watched him fight.

Anyway, Steve was proud of his team. Jane, Darcy, Janet and Pepper look fantastic. Darcy had opted for a deep purple sundress with purple pumps Steve did not want to know the story behind. Jane went with a light white dress and brown flats. Janet looked fantastic in her yellow dress with a black sash round her middle. Pepper’s dress was all clear lines and simplistic cuts. Bruce and Tony couldn’t keep their eyes off of her.  The looked good ties and collared shirts with jeans. The same could be said for most of the other boys. Loki had decided she was a girl that day and wore a green dress she had managed to talk Pepper into, she was just as pretty as the other girls. Clint and Nat were the apple of Steve’s eye. Clint was adorable in his purple shirt and black tie that he had taken off, Nat wore a red dress with black detail and a silver necklace Steve though Janet had given her. The grinned at each other and ran through the adults playing games only they knew. 

Steve loved it.

“I forget how young they are sometimes,” Thor says in to Steve’s ear.

Steve doesn’t know whether he is startled or distracted, “I do to.”

“I do not like occasions like this. It’s a feast but there is a test for us to pass. Loki is better at this than I. That is why he is to rule politically and I am to defend Asgard, but I must produce an heir as Loki does not want to,” Thor says.

“That sounds like you might have social anxiety,” Steve says.

“You make it better,” Thor kisses his neck.

Tony walks by, “I’d break it up. An investor with a stick up his butt is coming over here.”

Well that just sucks.

A man with brown gelled hair and a suit, “So I hear you are the prodigy Coulson found.”

“Yessir, I am. Steven Barnes,” he shakes the man’s hand.

“William Ashton, May I asked what qualification you have to lead this team?”

“You can, but I probably won’t be able to give you specifics,” He tells the man.

Ashton laughs, “What can you tell me, I’d like to know a little bit about you. You’ve come up from almost nowhere.”

Steve think for a minute, “I lead an elite group and learned to on the fly. We were very successful. Helped out a lot,” Steve says.

Ashton’s eyebrows rise in surprise, “That is very vague.”

“I apologize sir.”

“How do you feel about this group?” Ashton asked but then there was a loud noise and Nat was running to Steve. She was crying and in hysterics. Tear streamed down her face, “ _Steve, he’s her they’re going to take me away! I don’t want to go! I like it here, I don’t want to go back!”_ She repeats over and over again, sobbing into his shoulder.

“ _Natasha, they are not going to take you away,”_ Steve reassures her, “ _You’re here at S.H.E.I.L.D. with Clint and Darcy and me.”_ He holds her head and rubs her back until her tears are dried and she is only hiccupping.

“Russian?” Ashton asks.

"Yeah, Natalia is very talented, but she and Clint were in bad places before shield took them in. They are the reason that this program was started.”

“Oh no, don’t worry about that,” Ashton waves a hand, “I was simply wondering, you switched so seamlessly it shocked me. Where did you learn to speak Russian?”

“Ah, well it’s a talent, I can pick up any language I hear, full languages,” Steve explain with Natalia on his lap.

“That’s impressive, how many languages can you speak, what language did you grow up speaking.”

“I grew up speaking English. I can speak, Russian, French and German. I want to learn a few more but I haven’t had the opportunity to learn anymore, but I’d like to.”

“Steven!” Coulson finds him finally, “What happened?”

“I think Natalia saw someone from before,” Steve says.

“The…pincher, he… he hurt Yasha, and the others,” Natalia speaks up, “He wants to take me back. Steve says I no go back?”

“Oh Natalia,” Coulson says.

* * *

 

Several thing out of Steve’s control are set in motion, S.H.E.I.L.D. sets up a search for Nat’s spook, physical training is amped up and Tony joins it. Hank and Peter start to spend more and more time on their own, in what Steve suspects are makeshift laboratories like Stark made.

One day in mid-July Steve decides he has had enough of this drifting apart and takes his team out on a field trip.

Okay so maybe he fucked up a little bit. How was he supposed to know there would be an interviewers there?

“We’re from the Rainmont Collage of Histories,” The two women introduce themselves, “We were wondering if you could answer a few questions for us.”      

Steve a bit baffled. Tony, Bruce, Hank and Thor watch on with eager smiles.

“Uh sure?” Steve feels a bit lost.

“I’m Jack and this is Susie.”

“They’re survey question,” Susie says, “Would you define yourself as and average American.”

“Yeah,” It’s not lying they didn’t ask what time periods he was from was he had a typical upbringing.

“How much do you know about Captain America, or Steven Grant Rogers as that was his actual name?” Jack asks.

“A fair bit, maybe more than the average person of the street?” Steve regrets ever decision of his life.

“Where would you say you learned most of the knowledge?”

Vague answers have gotten him this far, “From my Ma and friends. It’s everywhere a bit inescapable.”

“How do you feel about the History Channels new Minnie series about Steve Rogers and the Howling Commandos based off of James B. Barnes unsent letters to the Captain?”

Steve furrows his brow at the pamphlet they show him, with the casts face plastered across the front. “They did know Bucky had blue eyes right?” He looks up at them.

Susie and Jack look at each other, “Bucky?”

“That was his nickname, the Captain called him that more often than not, He called the Captain, Stevie when he was feeling particularly annoying,” Steve says. It’s recorded fact, right?

"James Buchanan Barnes had blue eyes?” They ask him again

“Yes?”

“Where did you learn that?”

Steve make a vague hand gesture, “I don’t know, his eyes are blue. They just are,” He says.

“Can you give us a specific source though?” They press.

“No,” Steve says.

“It could just be Systemic Implicit memory,” Susie says.

“But why would there be no record of it? What about Peggy Carter or Howard Stark why didn’t correct the misconception?”

“Sargent James B. Barnes wasn’t at the top of their list of priorities.”

The babbles back and forth and Steve slinks away not wanting to think of Bucky’s eye color being up for debate. They were really goddamn lucky that Bucky was born in America.

* * *

      

That days outing Steve view as a disaster and from there things just escalated. Pepper when missing Janet and Hank got themselves mixed up in a lab accident at was Hanks fault and Peter went to an exhibit on spiders and hasn’t been the same since.

Bruce and Tony were almost mad with grief at Peppers lose, Steve didn’t know how to console the boys. He has been wearing a mask of being okay for so long he doesn’t know how to slow down and actual process the not okay parts of him.

It really shouldn’t have surprised him when Tony went off on a suicide mission to get Pepper back. He came back with not only Pepper but one of his old friends. James Rhodes, like Sam Wilson grew up in the Army and apparently could also use Tony’s Iron man suits.

Steve has no doubts they were all alive because of Rhodey.

While all of that was happening Coulson insisted he needed Nat and Clint on a mission with his secret team.

 When they were all together again the youngest were babbling away in all sorts of languages and accents and the older ones were flinching at loud sounds and unexpected movements. Steve didn’t know how to fix his broken team.

 Thor was the one who came up with a solution, “Come with me to Asgard.”

“I can’t,” Steve buried his head in to Thor’s chest, “I have to fix the team.”

Thor squeezed him tight, and whispered in his ear, “Asgard thirsts for children, and the children thirst for a care free week.”

"Week?”

Thor kissed Steve quick and dirty, “As long as you’d like.”

“Maybe a month,” Steve is dizzy.

“Loki will be joyous to be home and show off our palace,” Thor’s hand creep down wards.

“Shut up about you baby brother,” Steve straddled Thor. Thor grinned.

 

* * *

 

“I think we need a holiday,” Steve tell Coulson.

“Of course,” Coulson nods, “that seems to be the best solution. Southern California is great this time of year, or we could go to the Adirondacks for a few weeks.”

“Thor though it would be a good idea to bring the team to Asgard for a month,” Steve says quickly.

Coulson presses his lips together, “I’ll get the legal work together. It might take a few weeks.”

“Thank you.

* * *

 

Asgard was nothing like Steve had ever imagined, perhaps Bucky could have picture something like this. His head was always in the clouds with the fantasy novels and science fiction books he read in his spare time.

The bridge was a literal rainbow.

“It’s called the bi-frost,” Thor rumbled. Loki had sprinted across the bridge. Clint, Natasha, and Peter chased after him.

“Dude,” Sam caught Rhodes eye, “Rainbow road.”

The two took off before Thor could tell them not to run.  Jane and Darcy walked head of Steve and Thor talking a mile a minute.

Janet, Pepper, Hank, Tony, and Bruce walked behind.

Loki led the way to the palace at the center of the city. Thor looked like he want to go home in a more traditional way.

A tough looking women treated them at the door with Loki’s ear in her hand “Lady Sif, you look very lovely.” Thor giggled at the sight.

“So this isn’t a trick?” She raised and eyebrow.

“I though Coulson had sent paper work,” Clint pips up.

“I don’t think Lady Sif was informed about the hoard of children coming,” Thor says.

“Nearly every citizen in Asgard knows about the parade of children head to the palace, it’ all the take in the city. The Warriors Three will be glad to see you young prince and your warrior friends,” Lady Sif says with a twinkle in her eye.

The palace doors open up and a tall women with long curly golden hair and a blue dress walks out to greet them.

Steve gasps in recognition, “You’re the women! The one in who was-

“Captain,” she says eye the crowd of teenagers around them meaning fully, “I do believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t be very happy if you finished that sentence. Our formal meeting has been a long time coming. Odin insists you dine with us tonight, and afterward I will explain,” She paused and then continues, switching over to English, “Welcome Midgaurdian children, I am Frigga the All mother, I will be your hostess in the month to come. I will show you to your rooms, your belongings have already been placed in the chambers.

“You know my mother?” Thor asks an eye bros scrunched together in worry.

“Sort of. I didn’t know who she was at the time I meet her in the first place.”

* * *

 

Steve is still no used to having his own room, but he is glad he and Thor’s rooms are connected. It feels a bit less empty. The groups has splits off into fraction doing what they wanted to do. Steve wants to go look at the library or into the art gallery, but Thor and Sam pull him out the court yard to spare.

When Steve meet Thor’s mentors, the warriors three: Hogun, Fandral and Volgstagg, he was just as surprised as Thor, Sam and Rhodey to find that they knew of him and his power.

“Is it true you felled a dictator over two-hundred times?” Fandral asked.

“Not quite, that- it’s a long classified story,” Steve eyes the midgardians.

“And did you truly touch the tesseract?” Volgstagg asked.

“Um…the blue cube thing?” Steve makes the shape with his hand.

Volgstagg nods excitedly, “Yeah, but I dropped it. It stung and there was more to focus on at that moment.

"I wish to spar with you,” Hogun announced.

“He is very good, he tamed the abomination Master Banner hides inside,” Thor said with a grin.

“Hulk isn’t an abomination, he is just scared and very young,” Steve said even though they were not listening.

"You fight with a shield correct?”

"I used to,” Steve watches Volgstagg going through the weapons cart, and pulling out a similar shield to Steve vibranium one that S.H.I.E.L.D. had locked up.

“It’s not quite the same metal but it’s the same dimensions that you are used to. I doubt with the magic Loki has cast up on it it will be able to bend or break. You may use it while you are here,” Volgstagg tells steve.

Steve is in awe at how similar to his own it was.

Fandral blushes and admits, “It’s a replica, I had made a long time ago.”

Steve raises and eyebrow, “So were you a fan.”

“Not of you singing, but I like your fighting style.” The groups laughs.

Hogun and Steve spare.

And then Fandral.

And Volgstagg.

And then Lady Sif, who challenged him four more times because she though he was being polite and letting her win.

“I’m not as big as I used to be,” He says, “and I haven’t had a chance to practice with the shield at this size.”

“With you Knight Steve, it is always about size, first you are too small, then you are too big, one should think you are just right as you are now,” Fandral comments.

Steve laughs, “I’d pick a size and stick with it but you know, puberty.”

The warriors three laugh.

 

* * *

 

Later that night Steve and his friend eat dinner together, he feels their eyes on him as if he had done something wrong. The rest of the hall is loud with nobles and warrior eating the feast, Odin and Frigga arranged for them

"Why are you famous in Asgard?” Nat asks him finally.

"I’m not quite sure.”

“How old are Steve?” Hank asks him.

“Legally I turn twenty in 2018, so that makes me sixteen.”

“But that’s not your actual age is it?” Thor glares at him.

“It’s not.”

“So how old are you really?”

Steve looks down at his plate.

“You can’t tell us.” Thor looks disappointed.

“I can’t tell you my actual name, do you think I can tell you my age? If I had it my way I wouldn’t even be at Shield still. I’d have an apartment in New York City living on my own.”

“Do you still want that?” Loki asks.

Steve hesitates. If he had his own apartment where would these children be? “No, I don’t. I’m scared to think what could have happened with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s original plans had gone on.”

"I shudder to think what Asgard would be without Steven. He has more influence her than you can imagine,” Frigga puts a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Odin would like you to join us in the parlor after dinner.”

“May I come with Steve?” Thor asks.

Frigga presses her lips together, “Not tonight, tomorrow perhaps, sweetie.”

Steve can feel their glares on him until he leaves the dining hall. Thor catches him before he enters the parlor.

“My mother has invited you in to the parlor, that means you are going to be treated as an adult,” Thor says.

Steve is a bit relived and a bit nervous, “Okay.”

“Don’t answer any question that make you uncomfortable, my father and the court can be a bit…intrusive,” Thor presses a kiss to Steve forehead.

Steve hugs him tight.  “Will I see you later?”

“Perhaps,” Thor answers.

* * *

           

Entering the parlor, Steve is blown away by the reception he gets. The clapping is unexpected.

“It hasn’t escaped our attention you never received a reward for saving your country and the rest of Midgard from certain destruction. And you were not properly thanked for guarding the tesseract until we could retrieve it,” Frigga says, “We, the court of Asgard would like to thank you. I know you don’t have many suits of armor you can use, we thought you could use one we had made as a reinterpretation of your Midgardian costume.”

Two servants bring out a read white and blue suit that looks more practical than his old costume had ever been. The star was still on the center of the chest, but more subdued in white that almost seemed to blend into the blue. The seams between the pieces of armor were in red. It looked very expensive.

“It is battle tested,” Odin says.

Steve feels as if he need to sit. He does, murmurs go through the crowd.

“Perhaps it was to much.”

“Nonsense, he more than deserves.”

“How old is he now.”

“Maybe he is too young.”

“No he’s almost a century on Midgard.”

“Do you think its that Asgardian bit slipping?”

“No that doctor was sure he only need a little bit.”

“Steven,” Frigga’s voice becomes clearer, Steve look up at her she is holding a goblet, “Drink, it’s water.”

He follows her instruction, “Are you well dear?”

“It’s- I am no t used to this sort of treatment anymore. I’ve been treated as a child for so long, now I need a minute,” He looks at the armor, “are you really giving that to me?”

“Yes, we’d like to.”

“I- thank you, it’s a bit overwhelming, but thank you.”

The room goes back to its individual activities, while Steve and Frigga talk.

“What did you mean, ‘our fates are entwined’?”

Frigga gives him a look, “My dear boy, you know what I meant.” Steve swallows and shakes his head, “No Bucky is dead.”

Frigga laughs, “You take after your father too much stubborn and bullheaded.”

“Then I have to go back and look for him. If he is still alive then-”

“No. Where would you look? He will come back to you. You just need to be patient.”

“But how?” Steve look to Frigga as he would his own mother for advice.

“Patience will pay off and you will have many year together, but you have to wait.”

They watch the others or a while, then steve speak again, “You must think me selfish.”

“No not at all,” Frigg assures him.

“But- But I keep carring on with your son,” Steve says. Frigga’s lips twitch into a small smirk.

“Are you leading him on?”

“No, b-”

“Have you promised him something you cannot give him?”

“No we-”

“If he wants to end it would you be upset-

“Not if I understood why.”

“Steven you know the only reason Thor would end your relationship is because Jane had decided she was ready to date exclusively,” Frigga says, “Many warrior here on Asgard have relationships similar to Thors and yours.”

Steve blushes high on his cheek.

Frigga laughs like his mother used to, “If anyone here is the shellfish on it is me.”

Steve stammers out denials of the statement it catches him so of guard.

“The only reason your aging has been set back is because of me,” Frigga launches into the tale. “I woke up from a terrible nightmare where Thor and Loki were fighting with one another, they were going to kill each other. I searched and searched for a solution to my problem until I realized If I could have them work together then that could be avoided. It effected every time line to set certain events back, Lady Janet’s entire life, or push them forward, Squire Starks birth, but Odin and I are happy with the results until it came to you. You I would personally have to alter, along with your Bucky.”

“I don’t think I can thank you for that, but I am glad Thor and Loki only bicker with each other,” Steve says.

For the next few hours Steve moves about the room listening to everyone’s stories and generally getting to know the nobles. They gave him a goblet of mead. It tasted nice. The whole experience was kind of fun.

When Steve stumbled back to his room he was not expecting to see Thor is his bed. He smiled like a dope.

“Did you know I used to be really tiny?” Steve slipped into bed next to him. Thor rumbles with laughter.

“No really. Super tiny. Loki looks like a giant compared to me then,” Steve tucks his nose into Thor’s necks.

“You are drunk,” Thor says. Steve grins up at him with a dopy smile.

“This is like the first time since I was tiny that I’ve been drunk. I’ve forgotten how it made my finger feel. They’re buzzing,” He hold them up for Thor’s inspection. “Last time I tried to get shitfaced my best friend had died.”

“Did it work?” Thor asked. Steve wiggles around.

“No.”

“What did you do?”

Steve is quite, “I killed myself.”

Thor closes his eyes and pulls Steve in tighter. Steve can feel his tears in his hair.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Thor looks at Steve differently. All of them do.

Steve takes a backset roll while his team heals and learns new skills. Clint smiles bright when he shows Steve what he can do now with his bow and arrow. It’s impressive the rapid fire of arrow and the accuracy he has learned here on Asgard is much more impressive than what he could do back on earth. Steve feels like a shadow of himself though.

The night before they leave for Earth again there is a ball. The night before that the boys of Steve’s team are gathered in a common room without the girls.

Tony, Bruce and Hank are talking to themselves about their planes to surprise Pepper and Janet.

“How do you get a girl to like you?” Clint asks.

Tony stares at him for twelves seconds.

Rhodey laughs.

“Dude you are like twelve,” Tony blurts our unthinking.

Hank takes pity on him, “Girls like you for you most of the time.”

“But-

“Natasha likes you Clint,” Steve says.

“Yeah but I want her to like me like Thor like you,” Clint complains.

Thor and Steve exchange a look.

“Ask her to dance with you tomorrow night baby bird,” Tony says.

“I’m not a baby!”

 

* * *

 

The ball was nice. It was anything but, Steve watched his team pair off in twos or threes. Natasha and Clint caused trouble. Rhodey, Sam and Darcy danced together and so did Tony, Bruce, and Pepper. Hank and Janet looked happy with each other. Peter and Loki looked awkward together. Thor spent the whole night together.

Steve’s whole body ached for Bucky.

* * *

 

“Soldier Steve,” Thor caught him after the dance.

“Prince Thor.”

“Jane says she think she is ready to court me,” Thor said with a giant smile.

“That great,” Steve said.

“I just worry for you Steven, you have withdrawn lately. You are not your usual self.”

“I know, maybe going back to Earth will help me,” Steve doesn’t really believe his own words.

 

* * *

 

Just before they are all set to leave Asgard, Frigga calls out to Steve.

“I cannot reverse your problem immediately, but your aging will continue for the next ten or so years and then you will be frozen again,” she shouts.

“Frozen?” Steve tilts his head. Whatever she said doesn’t matter now they’re on their way back to Earth it too noisy and chaotic to make sense of anything. Steve is holding the shield that Fandral forced into his hands before they left.  He could have sworn a minute ago he was wearing jeans and hoodie, but now he is in the battle armor Odin gave him. Did he mean to wear that back to Earth?

It’s quite for a minute. Steve can see they are in the middle of New York City’s central park. It’s warm and sunny the leaves are just starting to turn colors and it too quite. Steve hears a bullet shot and launches himself in front of tony who looks just as scared and childlike as the rest of the group. A man- or is it a boy? Come out from the tree line. He’s covered head to toe in black Kevlar just the top of his forehead us visible.

He aims at Janet

“Thor get the kids to safety! I’ll pull him off.” Steve shouts launching himself at the man. Steve doesn’t look at Thor but he can feel the other man’s surprise when he was given the order.

“Damn it Thor you’re the oldest. Rhodey, Sam help him out this is what we have been trained for!” The man in Kevlar attack him again. Steve hits him with his shield.  His goggles fly off. Steve looks to his team.

“Fucking go!”

They rush off. Natasha waits a minute staring at the other man.

“Yasha?” Sam pick her up and runs with a careful look at Steve.

Steve feels a chill go down his spine. Is this Yasha? The trainer Natasha had claimed that loved her? She wanted to grow up to be just like him.

“You bastard!” Steve can’t help himself he manages to get a blow to his face that knocks of the muzzle mask. “ _She trusted you and now you’re back to hunt us down? Natalia deserves better than that!”_

The man doesn’t say a word, but rolls to pin Steve down. “ _You’re not a target, but you are in the way.”_

Steve kicks up at his chest and notices the man’s left arms is metal. The man picks up Steve’s shield, and it hits him. “Bucky?” he looks too young and too cold and too damaged toe be the man Steve knew almost a century ago.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” The man looks confused and disarmed.

Suddenly they are swarmed by S.H.I.E.L.D.  Agents and Steve is pulled back to a truck and the man- Bucky- is pulled to a separate truck.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Steve screams at the agents, “I’m not a fucking kid. Bucky’s out there, get him not me!”

“I’m sorry Mr. Barnes,” one of the agents says when three others manage to pin Steve down. He feels a prick and then then his world goes dark. Funny he thought they didn’t make drugs strong enough to put him down.

 

* * *

 

When he wakes up he is in a hospital bed. Sam is sitting in a chair beside him.

“On your left,” Steve says hoarsely

“Are you really Captain America?”

Steve laughs instead of sobs, “I always hated that name.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” A new voice enters the room.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t let me,” Steve closes his eyes. The listens as his team enters the room, “It’s not like I wanted to hang out with a bunch of kids.”

“SO why do you look like,” Tony gestures to him.

“Fuck if I know, Schmidt had a blue cube. It explodes or something, didn’t notice till I woke up,” Steve laughs hollowly, “Of course I didn’t think I would wake up. I knew I was going to die.”

“ _Yasha is here,”_ Natasha says to him.

“What!?” Steve sits up and looks at her.

“They …put him in a,” Steve watches as the gears spin in her head, “cell. Like this … but colder,” She trees her English is stilted and broken. Tears well up in her eyes, “ _they won’t let me see him!”_ She crys out and crawls up on to Steve. He mummers to her in Russian and rubs her back.

“ _They probably won’t let me see him either,”_ Steve says. Before he knows it Clint and the rest of the team are as piled up on the bed as they can get.

Steve think about the Howling Commandos and how they had felt like family and now he thinks about this team, he loves them unconditionally and he has made himself a new family.

Agent Coulson comes in, “I am really sorry to announce this but I need to talk to Captain Rogers alone.”

Everyone but Natasha and Clint go silently. Natasha clings to Steve not wanting to leave and Clint isn’t coaxed even with the promise of a puppy.

“I think perhaps this involves these two as well,” Steve finally says. Coulson looks pained.

“James B. Barnes has been found and is our custody, he is not currently compliant with our agents, but as far as we can tell he is physically healthy just a bit younger.”

“I want to see him,” Steve says.

“You are not permitted as it is though he will harm you.”

“I’m ninety-six years old I can make my own decisions!”

“In a week, Natasha can observe him in two weeks if your visit goes well,” Coulson caves, “There is also the concern of where he came from. He is probably no operation on his own will so there is an origination that is after us.”

“He shot at Tony and Janet.”

“Then they are after money,” Fury says. He pulls out a folder and tosses it on the bed, “Study up on your sergeant,” He says before leaving the room.

 

* * *

 

Later that night when Clint and Natasha were ordered from Steve’s room Steve pulls out the fill to start reading. A majority of it is the mission he was sent on and basic history of what he was doing the past seventy years. _‘The assent hasn’t shown signs of aging, look in to that,’_ and, ‘ _The tests return inconclusive from, check species’_ and _‘confirmed human’_ haunt Steve.

Bucky was treated like a machine and worse. He was brain washed and… Steve puts the folder on the side table and then it all spill on to the floor. He peers over the edge of his table at the floor. He sees the official documents littering the tiled floor and old black and white photos of his best friend. He also sees stationary that Bucky had used to send him letters.

He pick those up. Bucky’s handwriting was much better than Steve’s ever was. He could practically hear Bucky calling him a sap. He read the letter in quick succession one after the other. He traced the hand written lines blinking back tears not too ruin the hand writing.

“ _Dear Stevie,_

_I don’t intend to end this letter. Fuck I don’t even think I’ll keep it much longer than finishing it. I miss you so much. Most night I am glad you aren’t accepted into the army, but other nights I miss sleeping by your warmth and waking up in our crappy apartment. I miss watching you draw with charcoal on your finger tips and charcoal on your brow. The look you gave me when I laughed, you couldn’t have known about the dust on your cheeks, I sound like a dame…._

_Punk_

_When the soldier here ask me what I am fighting for I felt like I should answer ‘For my country,’ when it’s actually for you. I know you’d tell me that is stupid. I’ve heard you yell at me for all my stupid shit, but I don’t think you ever heard me when I told you to stop getting yourself in to dangerous situations, because I always have to go and get you out of a fight you can’t finish on your own. I’m fighting for my punk ass friend. Of course I can’t say that out loud…_

_Dear Steve,_

_You haven’t been replying. I wonder if that means these aren’t getting sent or if you have been evicted again or worse. I miss you, the cooking here isn’t nearly as good as your ma’s recipes…_

_…I’m a bit scared about our next mission but I can’t put details in the letter…_

_Liar Liar ass on fire,_

_HOW DARE YOU!_

_Fuck you and all of you’re pretty words I’m mad. Pissed._

_Couldn’t you do one thing I ask?_

_But no you have to go and get involved in a god damn science experiment!_

_Don’t even try to talk to me.”_

 That one hurts, but it is true he did do the one thing Bucky had asked him not to. And he got to see Bucky again so it was worth it right?

_"Smartass_

_You asked to see my box of letters last night. Of course you though I was writing a science fiction book. Maybe later when we are done with all this shit and we go back to Brooklyn. It’ll be about you though. I’ll write your story good and proper. Start with the scrappy little boy I meet on the streets. His mother’s Irish brogue and his American speech he pick up at school because he could never hear properly. His terrible habit of stating fights he couldn’t put an end to. Toss in some of the super top secret science experiment and a few aliens._

_Gabe and Dernier have caught me writing a few times. They think I have a sweet hear at home. They almost got my box opened….”_

Steve remembers that Bucky. The charming, charismatic boy he grew up with and the battle hardened soldier who had dreams of a quiet life after the war. He could always put a good story together.

That is not the Bucky sleeping in a room so similar to his.

 

* * *

 

“Why do you do that?” Bucky demands.

Steve has been in the room for an hour, so far Bucky hasn’t acknowledged that Steve was even in the room.

“Do what?”

"Bucky, what’s with the stupid name?” He demands.

Steve blinks trying to remember if anyone else has ever called Bucky ‘Bucky’, he can’t.

“I don’t know, I’ve always called you Bucky,” Steve finally says, “Do you want me to stop?”

“No,” the sullen teenager says.

They sit in silence for a stretch, “Are you sure were older once?”

Steve nods.

“Why?”

"We just were once, they say we should get older though, keep aging on course with our bodies,” Steve says.

“They showed me a mirror,” Bucky says, “and photos they were black and white, I looked older but we are just children, right?” Bucky looks to Steve.

“I- yeah we are,” Steve says.

“The little girl with red hair,” He makes motions for Natasha’s curly hair, “Who was she? Do you know her? Is she like us too?”

“Nat? She claims you know her as Natalia. She misses you.”

Bucky almost smiles. Steve keeps talking about Natasha, “She said you used to put her hair in pin curls, she asked for me to do her hair a couple of times. She’s happy here even if she struggles with English sometimes. Clint, he’s around her age has difficulty hearing, he helps her out when he can, they’re very close.”

A trace of a smile graces Bucky’s lips, “I remember a boy like that. Sometimes he could hear sometimes he couldn’t, he didn’t describe things in color and walked a bit funny.  He couldn’t do a lot of things, I helped him out a lot. I think he died.” Bucky closes his eyes close.

Steve’s throat closes up, “Do you remember what he was called?”

Bucky shrugs, “Depends on how I remember him, sometimes he is punk, sometimes he’s just a nescience. Sometimes he’s Stevie.”

     

* * *

   

Natasha’s visit goes much better. Bucky hugs her and they speak rapid Russian. Steve trys to hear the language not the words.        

 

* * *

 

Bucky’s healing process goes on while the S.H.I.E.L.D.  School initiative goes on. A few more members are added to the team. Carol Danvers, seventeen with origins much like Rhodey and Sam, set to be a replacement leader for Steve. Betty Ross who seemed to know Bruce and could talk to Bruce about science with barely any English involved, mostly hand gestures, Steve didn’t think too hard about that.

Steve’s team went through changes without him while he  almost faced a media disaster.  Someone had filmed his and Bucky’s fight in Central Park. Then posted it one social media and someone else had pointed out how similar Captain America and Steve looked.

It would have been much easier to answer question if Steve could claim he was actually Captain America without explain he was de aged by an alien stone. Also he barely looks seventeen now.

“To be perfectly honest we weren’t sure how to handle the media even when we were ready to go public with this,” Coulson tell him.

"But I really don’t like lying,” Steve says, “In fact I suck at it.”

“No one is going to buy the fact that you were de aged,” Coulson says.

“Let’s not worry about age for a bit?” Steve tries out.

Coulson gives him a significant look.

“It’s not like I asked to be de aged!”

“We’ll ignore it as long as we can, no more public outings this has happened in some capacity before.”

Steve was glad for the brake.

* * *

 

After about a month it died down, but the excitement about Captain America didn’t.

 

After three months Bucky was allowed to join the team for classes, and there was a face book page about Captain America. Steve got a tumblr, it was interesting looking himself up to say the least.

 

After six months Bucky had a good idea of who he was and Steve starting looking a bit more like the Captain America image America had in mind.

 

After nine months Steve and Bucky kissed. It escalated from there.

 

After a year Steve and Bucky were sent out on a mission tentatively.

 

After the second year Earth was invaded by Aliens and the Initiative was called upon for the first time. It was kind of exciting to see how it worked so well. Carol and Thor were very good at working together, so was the rest of the team. Then it was time for an interview.

To be honest Steve favorite head line before the interview was: **_Earth Saved by Teenagers?_** Bucky told him to behave. Carol also told him to stop being a shit head.

Pepper arranged to them to do a groups interview with Good Morning America. Then told Steve not to make too many puns.

"So just to be clear how many of you are under twenty-one?” The reporter, a women in her late forties to early fifties with blond hair and a maternal air about her.

Steve raises his finger, Bucky slaps his hand down. The women raises and eyebrow. Steve can feel Coulson considering her to join S.H.I.E.L.D. “It depends on how you want to count. In the time that has passed since our birth dates, actual years lived, maturity of our species or appearance?”

Maybe Coulson is reconsidering.

“Appearance wise none of us are older than twenty-one,” Bucky translates.

“Why don’t we go around with names and ages?” The reposter asks.

“Pepper Pots, nineteen,” Pepper waves. Steve grins.

“Tony Stark, eighteen,” Tony gives her a charming smile. “Like five,” Bruce coughs. Steve doesn’t laugh in fear of Bucky’s sharp point elbow.

Bruce smiles serenely, “Bruce banner, seventeen.”

“Sam Wilson, nineteen and this is James Rhodes, Rhodey he’s nineteen as well.”

"Janet Van Dyne, nineteen,” she looks very elegant, “This is Hank Pym he’s eighteen and my boyfriend in training.”

“Carol Danvers, nineteen,” she looks put off by the couple attitudes around her.

“I can legally say I am Betty Ross, also I’m eighteen,” She beams. Steve remembers her fight with her father that she never wanted to go back to. And now she won’t have too.

"Jane Foster, I’m nineteen, He’s Thor,” She look up at him, “How old does Frigga say you are?”

“Um… I forget, but in Midgardian terms about twenty,” He grins.

“Darcy Lewis, eighteen and this lovely twerp-”  

“I’m Loki, we are guessing about seventeen using Midgardian terms,” Loki glares at Darcy, she smile innocently at him.

“Peter Parker, sixteen,” He is trying to scooch away from Loki and Darcy and towards not too close to Clint and Natasha.

"The baby of the group?”

"No that’d me, Clint Barton! Fifteen!” He signs as he speaks, Natasha give him a dirty look.

“I’m Natasha,” She look to Bucky for help. They have a quick exchange in Russian, “Yasha says I was born in the 1950’s?”

“Really, but you hardly look like your age?” The reporter asks.

“She’s actually only about fifteen or so age wise,” Bucky says, Clint runs his thumb over the back of Natasha hand. “I’m _James_ Barnes, ninety-eight years old from date of birth, aging wise maybe nineteen.”

“You look better than most centenarians I know,” The reporter replies.

"You can’t know very many Centenarians for such a young lady,” Bucky flirts.

The reporters laughs and blushes, “What about you handsome?”

Steve gives her his best Captain America smile, “Steve.” Bucky scolds. Steve sighs, “Steven Grant Rogers, ninety-eight.”

er for head wrinkles, “Oh my God, are you Captain America?”

"Yes, there was a small accident that I can’t explain due to the nature of it,” Steve says.

“Where have you been for the last seventy years?” She demands.

“Much like Natasha and I, Stevie was frozen for the better part of last century, except he was literally under ice. He was and ice cube. I- was not.” Bucky freezes up. Steve copy’s Clint and rubs Bucky’s flesh hand.

“You don’t get to be in our position with very happy origins, unless of course your Steve the you are the exception to most rules,” Clint says.

“How exactly did this group come into play?” The reporter asks.

“Me,” Natasha says. “Shield found me, I was too young to be a full agent and too dangerous to be put in foster care. They also had Clint making trouble for Agent Coulson, and thought it would be best to try and give us what they could of a normal childhood,” She tucks a bit of hair behind her ear. Steve beams he is so proud of her, “Also there was the Tony and Bruce and a few runaways and military children who cased to much trouble to left on their own, so they created a school for us, Steve was found at a convenient time,” She finishes.

“How long ago was this?”

“Almost three years ago,” Tony pips up, “Of course Rhodey, Carol, and Betty were late comers who joined at different times. Also Steve didn’t attend many of the classes because he was ‘too special’,” Tony quotes.

“I graduated high school once I didn’t need to do it again,” Steve pips up.

“Not all of use were picked out for field work originally, but we have some exceptions,” Pepper explains.

“What are your plans for the future?” The reporter asks.

“Well, once Peter, Nat and Clint turn eighteen, I figured it would be a good idea if we all still lived together, I’m in the processes of building an experimental all green building to house us and part of Stark Industries. Top levels for living bottom for business, if we are ever needed we can go, but otherwise a lot of use have jobs were are perusing that don’t have much to do with our ‘superhero’ lives,” Toney grins. Pepper buries her hands in her face.

“Tony you can’t just announce that on live television!”

“But Pepper!”

“Those sound like ambitious plans, how are you going to bank roll that?”

“That’s a question better left unanswered,” Bucky says.

“Switching gears, Who is the leader of you team.”

“I am most of the time,” Carol answers for the team, “Sometimes Thor, sometimes Steve. Occasionally Rhodey and Sam. Pepper is the best at organizing everyone in non-combative areas.”

“Steve is the leader in making trouble,” Sam grins.

“Listen bud,” Bucky says, “You don’t know the half of it. I’m the one stuck with him for almost a century.”

The reporter laughs, “Well there you have it, the young people who saved the Earth. Not all teenagers, but not all adults, funny, smart, charming, brave and ambitious individuals. I expect we’ll be seeing more of you?”

“Hopefully not, but we’ll be here.” Steve says with a grin.

 

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a few follow ups  
> (feel the need to comment)


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